If ever there were a hockey game that went from the ridiculous to the sublime in the span of, oh, about a half-hour, it was this 5-4 Rangers victory over the Wild at the Garden on Monday night.

This was a sporting event made for Jack Buck and the late, great broadcaster’s signature, “I don’t believe what I just saw!” call, because seriously, nobody but nobody could believe seeing the Blueshirts score five times in the third period to claim victory in a match they’d trailed 3-0 after 40 minutes and 4-2 just 5:35 into the third.

“I can’t even explain what just happened, to be honest,” said Derick Brassard, who scored at 7:54 to bring the Rangers within 4-3 before setting up Mats Zuccarello’s winner at 16:49. “It’s just crazy what happened out there.”

The Rangers were dead on their feet through two periods, and down two players to boot after both Chris Kreider and John Moore received major penalties and game misconducts in separate incidents, the former for boarding Jonas Brodin late in the first period, the latter for a brutal head-shot against a defenseless Erik Haula early in the second period that will surely draw a severe suspension.

They were down two players and down three goals, even after killing both five-minute majors. They were down two players and down 3-0 through two periods during which they could muster just eight shots and 15 attempts. They were down, period.

“I think we were really embarrassed,” Brassard told The Post. “We talked about going out there and backing up each other. We couldn’t keep going like that.

“And it came from the head coach [Alain Vigneault] that we had to have a push-back.”

There was push-back after there had been no push at all. The Wild had come into the game having allowed a total of six goals in six games. Somehow they then surrendered five to the Rangers within a third period span of 13:57 including Rick Nash’s ninth of the year and Anthony Duclair’s first of his NHL career.

It was The Duke’s goal at 16:12, a wrist shot off a right wing rush with speed — of course — that tied the game 4-4 only 37 seconds before Zuccarello would win it.

“It hasn’t really sunk in yet,” said the 19-year-old freshman pro. “Confidence-wise, it’s big for me.”
Confidence-wise, this was big for the Rangers, who truth be told, stunk up the joint for the first 40 minutes. Ryan McDonagh struggled yet again. The Blueshirts made poor decisions in their own end yet again. There was no forecheck to speak of, no pressure to be seen.

“Oh yeah, there was a lot said,” Nash said. “We knew it wasn’t good enough as an effort after 40 minutes. We wanted to hold each other accountable for a good 20 minutes.”

Mats Zuccarello throws up his arms after his go-ahead goal with three-plus minutes left in the third period.Charles Wenzelberg

Nash opened on the right with Marty St. Louis in the middle and Carl Hagelin on the left before shifting himself to the left with Brassard and Zuccarello to start the third. The newly formed line dominated.

“Brass, Zuke and Nasher took the game over,” Vigneault said. “It was one of the best periods I’ve seen three guys play in a long time.”

The third period was like the final scene from “Carrie.” The Rangers somehow reached out of their grave and grabbed onto the Wild when they least expected it.

“None of us had legs in the first two periods, killing those penalties,” said Brassard. “So we all had our legs in the third.”

They had their legs and used them. They had emotion and used it. The Rangers, who opened the game conservatively, attacked. And then they attacked some more and some more after that. The Wild lost their composure. Goaltender Darcy Kuemper couldn’t make a save.

The Blueshirts had begun the third rolling a boulder up a mountain like Sisyphus. Once they scored the first goal, it was all downhill from there.

“The first two periods were kind of embarrassing,” Zuccarello said. “The third we played the way we should play at home.” — don’t be afraid and [guts] out. Sorry for the language.”